The Godwhale

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Godwhale is a science fiction novel published by American novelist T. J. Bass in 1974. It is a well-regarded novel, nominated for the Nebula Award, of genetic and biological inventions with a strange and mystical twist.

The book presents a novel and plausible view of a far-future Earth in which almost all non-human life has been exterminated due to rampant overpopulation, and most human beings have been transformed into weak, docile, diminutive creatures via genetic engineering and extensive reliance on automation and artificial intelligence. Bass utilizes extensive biochemical and medical terminology in the narrative, and many scenes are quite clinically graphic; the consequent imagery is both fascinating and horrible in subtle ways. As a cautionary tale on the evolution of technological society, The Godwhale was far ahead of its time, although the book was published during the emergent period of the US environmental movement.